University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
28-2,18-0Big East
Arizona
21-5,13-4Pac-12
UConn Falls to Arizona, 69-59
4/3/2021 2:09:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SAN ANTONIO — The UConn women's basketball team (28-2) fell in the Final Four to Arizona (26-5), 69-59, in the Alamodome.
Arizona held UConn to a season-low in points and led by 14 late in the third quarter before holding off a late push.Â
Paige Bueckers, The Associated Press player of the year, finished with 18 points and her 3-pointer got UConn within 60-55 in the final two minutes before Arizona closed out the win with free throws. Christyn Williams led UConn (28-2) with 20 points.
UConn has no seniors in the lineup and started slow as the Huskies looked tentative in the role of favorite.Â
UConn had four early turnovers and missed its first five shots before Bueckers made a 3-pointer to settle the offense, but only temporarily. Aari McDonald, opened the game with a 3-pointer, made another two minutes later, and scored eight as the Wildcats led 16-10 after the first quarter.
LEARNING CURVE
After the loss, Bueckers was already looking to the future and the lessons that might be learned from the Huskies' fourth consecutive defeat in the national semifinals.
"There shouldn't have to be a loss for that to happen, but obviously we lost so we're trying to get the positives from it and just learn from it," Bueckers said. "I think just having a killer mentality no matter who we're playing, whether we're playing, it's the first game of the season or its the last game of the season is going to be huge for us going forward."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
